The Other Side
by flyboyfan23
Summary: Sheppard is pretty used to being on the treatment side of hospitals but what if he wasn't the normal patient for one such hospital? He may find himself acquiring a deeper knowledge of our furry friends checkups than he would like. mild shep whump HIATUS
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: So, it's been a really long time since I've written anything but I hope I haven't lost my touch. Because I'm a vet tech and I'm on the healing side of everything, I thought it would be interesting to do a story with a bit of role reversal. Shepgirl27 first gave me the idea and here's hoping I can meet her expectations. :)**

**I still don't own it, so don't sue me.  
**

**The Other Side**

Navale Staff POV:

The Navale Emergency Animal Hospital was busy as usual. Patients and their owner's in the waiting room and an endless list of appointments, medications, treatments, and the general 'need-to-do' jobs that everyone hated to do was posted on the bulletin board for all to see. The three staffed veterinarians were busy running in and out of appointments and their staff were even busier. Being the largest animal hospital within miles had it's advantages but also it's disadvantages. While they received a large number of clientèle it also meant they were nearly always slammed and had a rather steady number of emergencies each week. At the moment that already had two pets on seizure watch and another expected to go into cardiac arrest at any moment. The head veterinarian, Dr. Vistan, was attempting to console the owner of said pet in her few options, hoping that the woman would see reason and let the poor creature go. She finally did and the man preformed the most hated aspect of his job, euthanisa, but it was necessary. The pet had been in pain and the quality of life was of that that even a man would have no longer wished to carry on. He released a long sigh as he closed the door of the room, so the woman could grieve in private, when a nervous receptionist approached him. She was young, working her way through veterinary _technician_ courses at the nearby college. He had hired her last week and she had not disappointed, reacting admirably to the emergencies and daily routine. Symo, he remembered her name being.

"_Dr. Vistan, another emergency just called. They found something. They don't know what but they say it's in bad shape and they're bringing it in. They should be here in about thirty minutes." _The woman stated.

"_What do you meant they don't know what it is?" _He asked, if a little snappishly. Euthansias always left him a little high strung and understandably so.

"_They just don't know. Said they found it near the Soroul Ring, unconscious but apparently alive.-"_

The doctor interrupted her for a minute, holding up a hand to signal her to stop. _"Emergency coming in, everyone. Unknown condition." _He announced before turning back to the girl as she continued.

The room that had been filled with the bustle of work was now it a near scramble as people prepared for the new arrival.

"_When they described it, they said about waist high, seemingly walks on two legs, light hair on the body but thick and black at the head, no tail, peach color and skinny." _Symo spoke quickly, following Dr. Vistan as he walked from desk to desk, peering at patient's charts and lab results.

He nodded, frowning as he tried to picture the description. _"Doesn't sound like anything I've ever heard of." _The hospital was located near a state park so they received a steady stream of wildlife to come through. The receptionist nodded in agreement and was about to voice another question when another receptionist came in over the intercom.

"_It's here." _Was her simple phrase, but those two words were enough to spur everyone into slightly chaotic motion. The technicians disappeared to the front room only to reappear almost instantly with a stretcher in between them. They ran by too fast for Dr. Vistan to get a good look at the creature, but whatever it was, he didn't recognize it. He followed them to the treatment room, wondering what exactly he had got himself into this time. His occupation had lead him into some strange situations, but they were normally with creatures he was familiar with, so he knew the possible danger: teeth, claws, venom. There were plenty of ways of possible harm but dealing with a unknown species meant you didn't know what defenses you needed to watch out for and this was indeed an unknown species. It wasn't like anything he had ever seen before, hairless except for it's head and along the ridges of it's eye sockets which were covered with a dark, near black fur. It was covered in a strange material which didn't seem to be attached to it's body, reminding him of clothing, but they couldn't be, only sentient creatures wore clothes. His techs were quick to jump into action, stripping the 'clothes' from it's body, revealed the right side of it's body to consist of a very harsh burn, covering most of it's chest, right shoulder, and much of his right, front leg. There were also many small cuts, consistent with what he would speculate to be shrapnel wounds, but they couldn't be. There hadn't been any explosions in the news, or fires in that case. No way for it to have received these wounds, unless it was an abuse case and the animal had simply been lucky enough to escape.

One of the technicians, was standing next to it's head, trying to find a way to fit the gas mask over the strangely shaped face. She had just situated the mask on it's face, when the creature's eyes fluttered open.

"_It's awake." _The woman stated, before turning attention back to her patient. _"Don't worry, sweetheart. We'll take good care of you."_

**A/N:**_** Sorry, I know it's short but the more reviews the faster I update. :) So if you think it's worth it, there's a little motivation to review!! I'm also open to any suggestions as long as their constructive. **_


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: second chapter, here it is. I know it's really short and I meant to write a lot more today but a friend needed help, so I didn't have the time. I don't own stargate but you already knew that. enjoy!**

Sheppard:

He felt as if he was trudging through a thick bog as mud and vines ensnared him in an attempt to pull him back into the dark abyss of unconsciousness. His limbs weighed like lead as he attempted to lift them and no matter the effort he gave the only progress he received was the small twitch of his fingers. He knew he should be running, escaping from something but he couldn't remember what, who, or even why. His memories seemed to float in the thick air around him and he knew the fact that he could not remember how he had come to be in this situation should have alarmed him but it didn't. The Colonel felt a though he was flying, as if nothing could harm him, that was until he managed to force his eyes open, against his protesting eyelids. A plain white ceiling was the first thing to greet him, and if he had had a choice, it would have been followed by a familiar face but instead the face of a very unhuman creature entered his vision and half mumbled, half gurgled something. A low guttural sound coming from the back of it's throat. John would have wished to have more time to study the alien before him but couldn't as a hand reached for him, followed by another in which he could only deduce to be a gas mask. Even with his mind refusing to connect all the pieces, Sheppard instinctively knew that these 'people' were not to be trusted, yet. He needed to know more before he would be excepting anything they offered him. As the device got closer he could smell and feel the gas contaminated air coming from the tube. He raised a hand to push the mask from his face, there was no way he would be breathing any of that in.

"_Wher'mI?" _He tried to ask but his voice came out slurred and barely above a whisper. _"Who ar'...yo-" _Sheppard's protests were answered with a guttural moan, that sounded like a dying goat in John's mind. The reply was slower and high in pitch almost as if the creature was attempting to comfort him, the tone similar to when one would talk to a small baby or a puppy. But no matter if these 'people's' intentions were good or not he was not about to take the gas they were forcing into his face. Pulling up reserve strength he had not known he possessed, he managed to convince his reluctant body to move. He only was able to raise to his elbows before the Colonel quickly found himself fighting against multiple hands. He struggled with all the limited power he could, John tried to push himself off the table and managed to get his torso off the table. The mask was clamped onto his face once again with too much force for him to overcome. Unable to force it off again, Sheppard fought the drug as long and as hard as he could, snarling the entire time, but dark tendrils began to invade his vision until he fell back into the familiar embrace of unconsciousness.

**A/N: Again, I'm sorry it's so short. I'll get the next chapter up as fast as I can and hopefully it will be much longer! Please keep reviewing. The more reviews that faster I write!!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Here's next chapter. This may be a little boring, but the point of this story is to get a feel of both 'sides of the tracks', so I'll have medical stuff in the up coming chapters and I'm sorry if I confuse people or get some stuff wrong. I try my best. Oh, and I don't own them. **

Navale Staff:

A clatter echoed through the treatment room, causing everyone on staff to turn and peer at the source of the commotion. Sweetheart, as the mostly female staff had began to call it and seeing that they didn't know the species let alone the gender he had no real problem with it, was flailing around, struggling against the technicians.

"Someone grab his front leg!"

"I've got it."

"Galine, hold his head still, and make sure to keep clear of his teeth."

Even in the stress charged atmosphere, Dr. Vistan smirked as he watched the patient give a particularly harsh buck, sending the techs scrambling to hold him steady. No one could ever say the career was a boring one. A person rarely sat at this job and it was common occurrence to have to restrain a patient who was by far stronger than you and was seldom, if never, very cooperative. Though relatively small in size, this creature was putting up quite the fight. Adrenaline was stimulating the fight response in it and the doctor hazarded a guess that it was the only thing keeping him conscious right then. Certain wounds were still bleeding, dripping onto the floors at an alarming rate. They had to get this animal down now, so they could at least see what they were getting into before treatment could actually take place. With one final surged of adrenaline, 'Sweetheart' seemed to succumb to a combination of his exhaustion and the anesthetic, falling limb to the table. This success brought a sigh of relief and achievement to the lips of the techs.

Working quickly and diligently, the visible wounds were clipped and prepped for the doctor to examine. Thin lacerations covered the shoulders and the back of the neck, fortifying his belief that this was an animal abuse case. Moving, aside slightly to make room for his head technician who was to take photos to document everything for a possible law suit. A large burn covered much of the body, the skin an angry red, still seeping blood and viscous fluid while smaller burns were randomly dotted over his flesh, obviously made on purpose. The 'shrapnel' was embedded along his right side. It would need to be removed but first they had to be sure nothing else was horribly wrong.

"Get him into x-ray. Take thorax and abdomen and don't bother with the lateral, just get me the VD." Dr. Vistan ordered, not wanting to out the creature through any more pain than necessary just to get a better x-ray. If need be they could always take another.

A/N: Thanks soooo much for reading!!! All the reviews I got were very encouraging. Some people were asking about his team and I was wondering what you guys would like. Do you want to see John's team or just have this be a John only story? Please let me know!! and again I am sorry these are so short, life just has a way of making sure the time I set aside for writing is always interrupted. :(

Anyways please review and let me know what you think!!


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Here's the next chapter. Thanks everyone for all the reviews. I don't think I'll have the team come in until the end, that way we can keep with the one side vs. the other theme, but you will get some in the end so don't worry. Enjoy!**

Navale Staff:

A frown played across Dr. Vistan's lips as he peered at the x-rays hanging in front of him. They did not paint a pleasant portrait, showing instead a broken and battered body. There were 5 broken ribs and every other was cracked. The femur was cracked, not enough that a pin would need to be placed but it need to be casted, along with his broken arm and wrist. Shoulder joints were dislocated and the phalanges were as well. Anger simmered beneath the doctor's skin. He had never understood how someone could do this to a person, let alone an innocent animal.

Vistan's anger soon turned to slight amusement as he over heard the techs discussing the newest patient.

"He's kinda cute, for such a strange looking thing." One of the younger techs, Symo, was saying as she scrubbed the patient's many wounds.

"How do you know it's a boy?" An older technician, Jamele, asked her as she held the oxygen mask over 'Sweetheart's muzzle while gently running her fingers through his hair in an unconscious attempt to provide even the smallest bit of comfort.

"He just has male features." She shrugged, tsking under her breath as she cleaned a particularly deep laceration.

"I'm more concerned about where in the world were gonna put that IV in." Jamele replied, looking 'Sweetheart's body over. "I mean, have you even looked at this thing? I wouldn't know where to even start looking for a vein."

"He isn't like any animal I've ever heard of. Do you think he's some sort of mutant or something?" Muttered another tech.

"A mutant?" Symo giggled. "You've been watching too many SciFi movies."

"It's better than all those romance crap you watch. I just like to keep my mind open to other things than the opposite sex."

Dr. Vistan smiled as the teasing continued. The banter between the staff was a simple way of coping with the stress of a job and there were plenty of stressful in this career.

Turning his attention back to the radiographs. Fixing this thing up was going to be a long and drawn out process. They weren't able to do surgery and fix most of the broken bones due to the burns. Wrapping and casting them would not allow them to heal. The only thing to actually do was keep the bones as aligned as possible and fix them later, even if it meant breaking them again and positioning them properly.

With the beating the creature had taken, there would have to be, at least, bruised organs let alone the possibility of internal bleeding. Vistan sighed, maybe it was time to let this one go. Leaving the poor animal to suffer was not an option and with no one to cover the cost and take responsibility, there wasn't much he could do. Grabbing the x-rays, he headed towards the treatment room.

"So wants the verdict, Doc?" Jamele asked as he entered.

"It's been worked over good."

"He." Symo cut in.

"Fine, He has been worked over good." Dr. Vistan corrected himself. "I'm not sure if there's much we can do. There are no owners, that have spoken up that is. He's up for a long road if we treat him and I can't guarantee he'll even survive."

"What are you saying?" Symo asked, stopping her scrubbing to trail her fingers through the thin hair covering his torso.

"It's not worth treating him. If we do get him well again, which is going to be a miracle in and of itself, he has no home and as strange looking as he is, probably won't get one. The government want to study him. He's a new species and needs to be studied."

He wasn't going to allow this creature to suffer without a any hope of a life afterwards. They couldn't adopt him out to just anyone. As an unknown species they did even know if he was tame. Vistan sighed as he looked around at his staff. He didn't like want he was about to say as much as anyone else, but he didn't have many options.

"We're going to have to euthanize him."

**A/N: Well, there you have it, the end of John Sheppard......Please review and tell me what you think. :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: **

**I'M SO SORRY!!!! Due to an accident at work, involving teeth and hand, I will not be posting for awhile. Typing is just a little painful right now, please don't give up on the story. I will update as soon as I can. Thanks for the patience. :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Thank you all so much for your patience. My hand is feeling much better, if still a little painful. **

**This Chapter is still with the Navale clinic, but don't worry Shep is coming soon. I know there hasn't been a whole lot of him yet. Hope you enjoy!!  
**

Navale Staff:

"_We're going to have to euthanize him." _

Jamele sighed, carding her fingers through his fur. They had had so many euthanasias this week. It had been stressful for everyone. Every animal within a ten mile radius seemed to be getting into trouble. One emergency following the next. It seemed as if everyday was another moment the staff ran to and fro in chaotic urgency, but this one had taken the cake. In truth, Jamele had been expecting it, having taken a quick peek at the radio-graphs before handing them off to the doctor. There was just so much damage.

"We can't just kill him." Symo half whispered, looking down at Sweetheart before meeting the doctor's eyes with a determined stare. Vistan's hearts melted as he looked into her large, burnt orange orbs. She had not yet learned to separate herself from every hard case. A person could never fully detach, sympathy was what drew everyone to this career in the first place, but you learned to handle your emotions. He still would mourn with clients, comfort them through their loss. The soul would not allow him or anyone to care for each and every case and cases with no home, owner, or future were easier to move past, telling yourself that they wouldn't have much of a future after your care. That their life would be hard and with little hope.

"What if I adopted him? I could cover the bills. Could we help him then?" She asked, hope shining in her eyes.

"The government won't like it." Jamele pointed out.

Vistan nodded in agreement. "It's an unknown species that they want to study. Besides that, you don't know the temperament. What if he's aggressive?"

"Then I'll either tame him or give him a nice habitat to live in. My land is big enough." Symo shrugged.

"And what will you feed him?"

"We'll figure that out soon." Symo answered before crossing her arms across her chest. "I'm willing to give him a chance at a better life than he obviously had and if the government wants to poke and prod him, I will allow it but only because there won't be a choice."

The doctor smirked at her confidence. It reminded him of his own daughter, strong willed and stubborn. "Alright. I'll treat him but you have to understand this is not going to be easy or cheap." He warned. "Just looking at the x-rays there are a few organs that I'm not sure what they are yet and he only seems to have one heart, which, I'm assuming is a genetic defect or something. Healing will take time."

Symo nodded through his whole speech but stopped when he held up a finger. "But, if he takes a turn for the worst and we're causing more pain than good, we are going to euthanize. Understood?"

"Understood and agreed." Symo answered him. She wasn't going to cause Sweetheart any unheeded pain but he deserved a chance at another life, better than the last.

"Well then, let's get to it." Jamele smiled.

**A/N: I know, I know. It's short, I just can't seem to get them longer. The next chapter will be with Sheppard so that should be a bit longer. **

**Thank you again for all the patience and concern. :)**

**Please Review.  
**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Thank you everyone for your patience!!! Life is just a little crazy right now, but I try to disappear from reality whenever I can. **

Sheppard:

Sheppard moaned as he regained consciousness, a fog wrapping around his mind, reluctant to let go. Slowly he was able to pry his heavy eyelids open. While hoping to be greeted with the subtle blue and grey hues of the Atlantis Infirmary he was instead met with a yellow stained ceiling. Groaning, he began to push himself to a sitting position but had to attempt it multiple times before succeeding. Having woken up in such positions before, Sheppard had learned to take things one step at a time. Slowly, he began to take stock of his condition. Deciding to start with his mental status, the sarcastic tone of Rodney McKay reverberated through his skull with the expected smart comment. His memories were a little fuzzy but he remembered the moments up to his escape. He remembered the beatings and the interrogations, even the inedible meals, no matter how few there actually were, but John couldn't shake the feeling he was missing something big. Knowing that straining to remember wasn't going to help, John pushed it to the back of his mind and concentrated on his physical state. He seemed to have all the body parts he had started with. His expression pinched in confusion as he found the casts on his left leg, up to his hip, as well as one on his right arm. His shoulders were back in place as well as all of his fingers.

_'This is new.' _The Colonel thought to himself. Waking up in strange places wasn't a really big deal, a little disconcerting, but it came with the job description. Now waking up and having been treated as if someone cared was completely different and very, very rare, especially for him.

Even the pain he had been expecting was muted, not completely gone but neither was it all encompassing.

Finally moving past the shock of his relatively positive situation, John noticed for the first time he was lying on a blanket, naked as the day he was born. Moving with a speed no one would have expected from a man just waking from a drug induced sleep, he managed to wrap the blanket around his waist in semblance of some modesty.

He stumbled slightly as he hauled himself to his feet to inspect his new living arrangements. The three walls around him appeared to be made of a type of tile while where the first would have stood was gate. The links were thick and strong. Without even a second glance, he knew he would not be bending those anytime soon. Immediately, the Colonel's attention focused on the lock. It seemed like a very simple mechanism. All one needed to do was lift a small latch in the very center within a groove. A single obstacle stood in John's way. His fingers were too large to fit into the hole, and would have been even without the swelling in both of his hands.

_'No human has a finger that thin.' _Sheppard thought to himself, unease settling into his stomach at the thought. Sure he was cool with aliens. The asgard were pretty darn helpful, but he had yet to meet an alien species quite that friendly in the Pegasus galaxy. They had all been humanoid so far.

John began taking in the rest of his environment in hopes of finding an object to open the door with. A drain ran at the back of his 'cage' but it was too small for him to fit through. The blanket he was currently using to retain his dignity offered little by the way of escape. Other than those few commodities, the cell offered nothing. Resigning to a wait, John sunk to the floor with his back to the far wall so he had a view of anything outside the cell.

He didn't have to wait long until he received his first good look at the aliens holding him. John's mouth went dry as he took in the strange featured creature before him. If the creative imaginations of George Lucas and James Cameron had gotten together what stood before Sheppard now would have been the result.

**A/N: Again, I'm sorry about the late updates!!! Please review and I'll try and update quicker!!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Here's the next chapter. Thanks for all the patience!!**

Sheppard:

Sheppard nearly felt as if his heart had stopped before he remembered to breath again. He found himself grateful he hadn't been standing or his legs would have folded under him in shock as the alien suddenly appeared from around the corner. 'It' stood a good ten feet tall, dwarfing Sheppard. Long arms and legs gave it a spindly appearance with hands the size of steering wheels. The body was covered in a noticeable fuzz, white with a slightly blue hue to it but what shocked him the most was the long and slender tail that appeared quite capable of acting as a third appendage, like the monkey's back on earth. What looked to be a mop was grasped by it while the two hands carried two buckets.

The Colonel jumped out of his skin once again, unable to hide his surprise, as the thing turned to face him. The face was fairly humanoid, in a weird way. The mouth seemed rather normal but when the lips pulled back they revealed large pointed teeth. Where the nose would typically be were two small slits reminding him of a snakes muzzle. Ears were pointed and seemed to swivel like a horses, but the eyes were the most 'alien' feature about them.

John had seen a lot of alien eyeballs in his time and quickly got used to the all-black eye socket and the many different colors but these were a first for him. As large as his grandmother's antique tea saucers, what appeared to be the pupil was a vibrant burnt orange while the iris around it was pitch black. The whites of the eye were still white but were speckled with emerald green.

Swallowing and taking a moment to steady his breathing again, Sheppard decided communication was the next step.

"Uh, hi." He began, not sure how this all was gonna pan out. "The name's Sheppard."

Sheppard gave his most friendly smile he had, best to be on the good side of his captors till he figured out what they wanted. A guttural noise emanated from the creature, his eyes widening at the high-pitched but gentle tone.

_'Well, so much for understanding each other.' _Sheppard shrugged before struggling to his feet, battling the cast the entire way.

"Okay...I guess this isn't gonna help, but anyways you think you could let me out? I promise I won't try and escape or anything." _yet_.

The alien cocked it's head to the side and 'spoke' once again, before turning and walking away.

_'Well that went just peachy.' _Sheppard grumbled to himself, wishing he hadn't bothered to stand up. Surpressing a gasp as the muted pain flared up, he sunk back to the floor. He allowed his eyes to slide shut, feeling the welcoming tug of sleep.

Sheppard knew that letting his guard down and catch some shut eye wasn't the best idea, years of missions in hostile environments rarely let you relax during sleep at all.

_'Must be the meds.' _He told himself as he lost the battle and sunk into sleep.

**A/N: Don't worry, you'll find out what happened to Sheppard soon. Thanks again for reading and please keep the reviews coming!!**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: I'm so sorry, I tried to make this chapter longer, but it didn't happen. Thanks for everyone sticking with me!! **

Symo hummed happily to herself as she approached 'Sweetheart's' cage. The surgeries had gone amazingly well, and even with the strange anatomy, they hadn't been met with too many nasty surprises. They had already known he only had one heart but they hadn't been expecting the extra kidney and oddly small stomach. The doctor had ventured a guess that due to it's shrunken size and the known fact that food had been withheld from him for an extended period, a creature such as this would need to eat more regularly than the 48 hour cycles most animals needed. So now she was on her way to check on 'Sweetheart', hoping he was awake enough to eat something.

Her smile widened two fold as she rounded the corner and found 'Sweetheart' sitting upright and watching her only to quickly draw her lips back together as fear clouded his eyes. Most animals took showing your teeth as a sign of aggression and that was not the image she wanted to give him. With this in mind, Symo also did not speak first, wanting to allow 'Sweetheart' to acclimate himself without unnecessary noise. He however caught her off guard as a garbled phrase broke through 'Sweetheart's' lips before pulling his lips back into a snarl.

Though his flat teeth were not really a threat and she knew he had reason to be fearful but it still was not to be allowed.

"Now don't you be naughty, Sweetheart." She scolded. "I'm not going to hurt you."

He groaned as he struggled to his feet, surprising her with his boldness as he approached the front of the cage, before garbling something again. The sound was rather cute, almost like an infant's coo.

Symo cocked her head and perked her ears forward, wishing she could understand him.

"Are you hungry, honey?" She asked, her voice raising. "I'll go get you something."

With that she turned around and headed to the kitchen, hoping the stomach would be the way to his heart.

Glancing through the different types of food they had, she began to question what to feed him. The physical qualities of his oral cavity hinted at herbivore tendencies. Quickly she grabbed a handful of greens and food pellets and placed them in a food bowl but, to cover all the bases she set up another bowl, labeling the different canned foods so as to know what he liked. Hopefully they had something here 'Sweetheart' would like, or else they would have to find other options. Grabbing another bowl, Symo filled this one with fresh water.

Returning to 'Sweetheart's' cage, she found him already curled up in the far corner, deep in sleep. Symo deftly opened the lock with her nimble fingers and set the bowls down for him to find later. Smiling as she watched the rise and fall of his chest. She needed to think of a name for him, after all Sweetheart wasn't a name to keep, just what every animal was titled until a real name was given or they proved otherwise.

Symo had just turned to continue with work when Jamele called up to her through the intercom.

"Symo."

"Yes?" She answered quickly.

"The government suits are here to talk with you. Doc's already upstairs with them."

Symo sighed, not wanting to argue with these agents, but if it would keep 'Sweetheart' safe she would do anything in her power.

"Thanks, Jamele."

**A/N: I really am sorry how short all of these have been, but I just don't have much time to write and I'd rather not wait a long time in between updates. So sorry if it drives you crazy, please just hang with me. :) thanks and please keep the reviews coming!! **


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: You're probably getting tired of me saying it but sorry it takes so long for me to update and that the chapters are so short. Please enjoy**

Navale:

Concern and dread crested Symo's forehead, her ears drooping close to her head, as she ascended the stair case. Having always hated politics she now found herself smack in the of a three way tug. Scientists in one corner, just itching to sink their needles into the new 'specimen', the military in the other wanting to lock the 'potential threat' away forever, with 'Sweetheart' in the middle and only her to protect him.

Dragging her feet, Symo made her way into the room where the representatives of each party already sat around a large table with Doctor Vistan.

"Come on in, Symo." The Doc said, motioning to the seat beside him. "Everyone, this is Symo. She is the owner of the creature."

"That is preposterous, you can not claim it! It must be studied." The extremely thin scientist exclaimed, planting a hand on the table with more force than necessary.

"_IT _has a name." Symo growled, pinning her ears back in anger. The protective nature she possessed towards 'Sweetheart' was growing by the moment.

"You named it? It's not your's to name!" The scientist ranted again. His appearance was disheveled as one would suspect with most science geeks, his hair and dull navy blue and standing on end like he had never heard of a brush.

"By the law of claim, she can." Vistan put in calmly, having consulted with his lawyer before the meeting.

"You don't know what type of creature it even is." The military consultant spoke for the first time, his rigid stance aggressive,broad shoulders tense and hair cropped short while his eyes a vibrant red. "It's an unknown danger, precautionary procedures need to be taken. It needs to be confined to protect the community."

"But General-" The scrawny scientist held up a finger about to interrupt but the soldier stopped him.

"The creature will of course be studied by with the proper protective methods, Dr. Hanten."

"So your just gonna lock him away? Shoot him with a tranq whenever you ready to poke and prod him?" Symo asked in a hostile tone, unbelieving that anyone could lock up any animal in a small cage and not provide quality of life. She had seen the government's 'research cages'. No creature could live happily in those conditions.

"Only until the geeks get everything they need from a live specimen." The soldier sneered.

"WHAT!" This time the only think keeping Symo from leaping from her seat and strangling the General was Vistan's gentle hand on her shoulder. With a huff, she forced herself to calm down though with her ears pinned flat to her head and her tail twitching behind her, she had limited success.

"There is only so much data we may gather through external evaluation. A dissection would prove a great deal of invaluable intel." Dr. Hanten stated in a cold voice.

"There is no way in the world I am letting you do that." Symo growled in a low threatening tone. "_He_ is staying with me and_ I_ will give him a good home where _he will _live out the rest of his life and_ you will not_ get you're blood thirsty hands on him in any way. Do you understand?!"

Both the General and Hanten were about to argue but Dr. Vistan cut in first. "According to the laws, Whoever claims a piece of property and there is no one to claim it within 1 cycle of the stars or the previous owner is proven unworthy of it then it is theirs. Symo has claimed him and there is no one in their right mind to contest the fact the previous owner was not providing proper care thus, and with all the paper work complete, Symo is the rightful owner and she will decide the fate of the creature." Vistan's words were final and since the government was one of strict order and laws, there was no contesting it.

Symo beamed brightly at her boss, knowing he had just saved 'Sweetheart's' life again. She could now give him a good home, pain free for the rest of his life.

"Of course." Vistan continued. "Symo would gladly allow the government to study him within certain parameters and after she is given adequate time to settle him into a new environment."

Symo shrugged her shoulders, knowing she would have to give them some sort of compromise. The details of course would be worked out later, but for now she was thrilled with the future she could give her new pet.

The smile faltered as the intercom sounded and a static-laced voice broke through. It was not the voice that turned her heart to ice but the noise in the background. She immediately caught 'Sweetheart's' mournful cry in the background even as the panicked voice of a tech called the downstairs to an emergency.

**A/N: Really short, I know but the chapter will be longer and have the 'how' Sheppard got into this position. Please Review!!! **


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Thank you everyone for being so patient. Here's the next chapter and while it seemed longer than the other it's still not that long. sorry. I just can't seem to get past it. oh well. hope you enjoy it. :)**

Sheppard:

"_Go to sleep, Rodney." Sheppard mumbled, his face already buried deep into the pillow. A blanket draped over him and his team each in their respected beds around him as a fire crackled in the hearth._

"_Do you have any idea what this mattress is going to do to my back? We're taking multiple surgeries and years of pain. Why couldn't we have just gone back to Atlantis?" McKay whined as he turned over in his cot again. _

_John rolled his eyes and was about to respond when Teyla beat him to it, in an attempt to dispel the sarcasm that was sure to grace her C.O.'s lips. "The 'gate is a long walk from the village and it would be unproductive if we were to make the trip again in the morning for the simple pleasure of our own beds and we do not wish to offend the people by denying their hospitality."_

_McKay huffed as he repositioned himself yet again. "It's not like this deal is so important anyways."_

"_Just because it doesn't involve food or technology doesn't mean it's not important." Sheppard countered. Atlantis had been sending teams to this planet for three months now, making friends with the locals and slowly earning their trust. They had learned quickly that the villagers were sticklers for tradition and manners so the teams had scrambled to commit the 'please and thank yous' to memory. The people took offense easily, so needless to say Rodney in particular wasn't making the best impression. _

"_I don't think-"_

"_McKay! If you don't shut up I'm gonna readjust your back for you." Sheppard grumbled the warning, arm draped over his eyes. "And Ronon here will help me." _

_The Satedan grunted in agreement from his cot in the corner where he lay with his back turned towards the group. _

"_Fine, fine. Geez no reason to get all hostile." Rodney mumbled, tugging none to gently on the blanket that was now tangled between his legs due to his constant position changes. _

_The team slowly drifted off to sleep, each at their own pace. The even pace of deep breaths echoed through the room, relatively soft snores emanating from both the scientist and the Satedan. Sheppard found himself staring up at the rugged ceiling, listening to the peaceful sounds around him. _

_The planet was on the very edge of the galaxy, to the extent that the villagers had never even heard of the wraith. That was why Carter was so set on the negotiations going well. The planet was a safe haven for refuges and a possible evacuation site if ever the need arose. With peaceful natives, while maybe just a little fanatical when it came to manners, it seemed ideal. _

_Eyes drifting close, Sheppard didn't notice the door opening silently or the large group of rugged men enter the room. They approached each bed and with silent communication that only comes once you have worked together for a long while a cloth was pressed over the Atlantian's faces at the same moment. _

John awoke from his restless sleep with a start, instantly wincing at the pain movement created but that pain was minor compared to the guilt he felt. He blamed himself for his teams capture. They had felt safe that night, on a planet that, for once, had never been plagued by the wraith. He should have remembered that planet's always had their share of troubles whether you saw them or not. Though he had to admit that slaver traders had not been the first to cross his mind.

He sucked at being a C.O. Commanding Officer's were supposed to have the answers, always planning one step ahead. John knew he wasn't the fastest or the strongest. There were tons of people to do his job, and do it much better. Dr. Weir could have picked someone much better than him for C.O. but she had needed his DNA. The gene was his ace in the hole, a fool-proof way that he could remain on Atlantis. He was a glorified lab rat. A lab rat that never could seem to learn how to steer clear of trouble. Sheppard really did try and keep out of compromising situation but they seemed to follow him, always twisting things so they grew worse and never better. Lady Luck never seemed to smile on him.

That's why he found himself suck in this cage like some kind of animal, left with no clothing, just a sheet to provide a meager amount of modesty.

Grimacing as he pushed the troubled thoughts far into the back of his mind for the moment, John glanced around him. Tile walls still surrounding him and that irritating lock still firmly latched. Everything was the same as when he had fallen asleep, with the exception of three silver-colored bowls. Dragging himself the short distance because it wasn't worth struggling to his feet with the bulky cast, John peered into the bowls. One held water, crystal clear and refreshing water. His thoughts only lingering on the possibility of the liquid being drugged, he had after all been unconscious for most of his stay so far and was feeling better than he had in weeks, Sheppard downed half of the water. The cool liquid soothing his painfully dry throat.

With the fire quelled, he eyed the other two bowls with suspicion. One held what looked an awful lot like spam while the other held both some sort of greenery and small pellets of something. While none of it looked appetizing, John knew that having not eaten anything in near a week, he would have to soon to keep what little strength he had.

Just looking at the weeds transported John back to his childhood and his grandmother's dandelion salads, which he had loathed, and the pellets didn't even look edible. So that left the spam. Swallowing his resolve, he had after all eaten worse than this in army rations, Sheppard tentatively scooped a finger into the mush. The taste surprised him instantly, having been expecting something related to meat but it instead was somewhat sweet with very little after taste of salt. Not unlike a trail mix of mm's and peanuts.

The repressed hunger pains from having no food for near a week came back full force as John ate and soon the bowl was completely empty. Sighing in contentment, Sheppard settled back to lean against the wall. Suddenly his eyes shot open, which he had closed, and panic crossed his face. His airways were closing, he couldn't breath. He tried to scream for help, from anyone but nothing came out. He couldn't even whisper. Gasping, Sheppard reached out to the cage door and tried to shake it but the noise it made wasn't loud enough to be noticed.

His flailing hand came in contact with the empty bowl which he immediately latched onto and began to bang against the door.

Though he was still unable to breath and quickly turning blue, John smiled slightly when one of the aliens rushed into sight. It gurgled something before running off again, John's hopes dying as it disappeared. What was the point of healing him if only to let him die now?

Darkness was creeping into his vision when the alien suddenly appeared in view again, carrying a syringe. The sight would normally have alarmed Sheppard but he was beyond that now, simply wanting just one precious lung full of air.

Nimble fingers quickly opened the door and John felt the sting of the needle. A cool rush flooded his body and his airways opened up once again. It left him gasping in each breath with deep appreciation. That however was short lived and a deep and carnal pain grasped him, sending his muscles into spasms and forcing him to cry out in distress. A deep gut wrenching scream.

**Just a little bit of whump for everyone. :) hope you enjoyed it. please review!**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Thank you everyone for being so patient. Like everyone else in the world, life is getting more and more complicated and it's getting harder and harder to find time to write. I'll try my best to update but I can't tell you how long it maybe in between updates. Anyways, I hope you guys like the chapter. **

Symo's feet barely touched the stairs as she ran to the treatment room, her tail managing to grasp the railing to keep her from falling as she took the corner too quickly. She could hear Dr. Vistan directly behind her but her thoughts were not on him. Her 'Sweetheart' was hurt, her baby, and nothing was going to stand in the way of her helping him.

Flinging the door open, Symo immediately dropped to her knees beside 'Sweetheart' who was wringing on the floor, clearly in pain. As gently as possible, she pulled his head into her lap as Doc questioned the technician on duty.

"What happened?" He asked, as he pulled a syringe from a nearby drawer.

"He had an allergic reaction to something. So I gave him 0.5 cc's of Hanzine, IM." She stated quickly, while dragging the oxygen machine over and handing the mask to Symo to fit over his nose.

Vistan nodded and reached for another vial in the cabinet, the reversal agent. He filled the syringe with the proper dose and, wasting no time, injected his strange patient straight into the vein they had located.

The muscle spasms ceased nearly immediately, 'Sweetheart' only twitching minutely.

"He's gonna be okay, right doc?" Symo asked, her long fingers carding through her pet's hair lovingly.

"Yeah, he must have had an allergic reaction to something in the drug, and that coupled with the first reaction increased his systems drastically, but the question is what caused the reaction in the first place? He had been doing fine." Vistan ran a hand through the thick hair on his head in exasperation. "Was he given anything different, anything to eat or drink?"

Symo nodded, keeping the oxygen mask firmly over 'Sweetheart's muzzle. "I gave him a little of everything." She answered before turning to the second tech. "Did he eat any of it?"

"A little of the EN is gone, but not that much."

"Okay, pull that food, obviously and withhold any of the other canned stuff. Stick with the dry pellets for now and hopefully we can figure out a more substantial diet soon." Vistan directed, his tail perched on the door handle. "Now, I'm sure our guests upstairs are getting impatient so-"

The doctor was interrupted when both the scientist and General opened the door and walked in, their curiosity understandably peeked with all the commotion.

"Ma'am." The General exclaimed as he took in Symo on the floor, cradling the creature's head in her lap. "Get away from that thing at once!"

Anger immediately reared up in the girl, her hair raising up on end and the hand moving to grasp 'Sweetheart's shoulder possessively. "He's not going to harm me. He's not even conscious."

It was then that 'Sweetheart' began to rouse, the struggle to open his eyes apparent.

"I really must insist you step back, miss." The General urged again, holding a hand out to her while his ears swiveled to show his concern for her safety as well as everyone else's. While receiving a glare from the Veterinarian, he also pulled his gun from it's holster. The old soldier was not about to allow any civilians to be hurt by some unknown creature.

Unsure to follow the direction or not, Symo looked back down at the creature just as the his eyes opened to reveal their strangely reversed black pupils and green iris'.

Those eyes widened as 'Sweetheart' looked at her, scrambling away in surprise and fear. The cast around his leg clunked as he pulled himself away from her. He however froze instantly when he noticed the weapon the General had aimed at him, bringing tears to Symo's eyes to think that an innocent animal had encountered guns to recognize the threat.

His paws rose slowly in the air as though to ward off the danger and the garbled noises distinctly had a whimpering tone behind them.

"Put the gun down, General. Your scaring him." Vistan ordered, and against his better judgment the soldier did, if only lowering the aim.

A small smile tugged on Symo's lips as 'Sweetheart' mimicked the weapon and lowered his paws as well, before slowly attempting to push himself up to stand on two feet. She stepped forward to help him as he struggled with the large cast over his leg, but stopped as 'Sweetheart' ceased his movements to watch her, only to begin again when she took a step back.

"Fascinating." Dr. Hanten mumbled under his breath once the creature managed to raise to his hind feet, a front paw grasping the thin and holding it around his waist in the semblance of modesty. No doubt mimicking the group around him as if to blend into the herd, as it were. Hanten's voice rose as he grew more excited, causing 'Sweetheart' to step another step back to distance himself from everyone. "It is unlike anything I have ever seen. The anatomy must be incredible and look at the way it uses such clumsy digits to hold the blanket."

_He_ still has a name and is scared out of his mind, so lower your voice." Symo hissed, before holding a hand out to 'Sweetheart', she really had to think of another name. A real name.

"Ma'am, I really must insist we get it- _him_ back into a confined area." The suggested, quickly shifting his 'it' to 'him' at Symo's glare.

"And risk scaring him further? What good would that do? We need him calm and at ease in order to even consider studying him."

"So you're tender heart is willing to put everyone in the physicality at risk instead of taking a few simple precautions?"

Symo frowned, looking towards the vet. Vistan gave her a small nod. "We can put him in one of the larger kennels, Symo. Make him comfortable."

Silence fell over the group for a few seconds, each of them watching the creature before Hanten spoke.

"And how do you plan to get him in the cage?"

That was indeed a problem and with such a diverse group each had a very different suggestion. They were each about to voice their opinions when 'Sweetheart' seemed to have a couple of his own. The scientist scrambled to pull a small recording device from his pocket, the movement stopping the animal's chatter but only until the recorder was placed on the table and he was content it was not a potential threat.

The garbled noises continued and were soon coupled with with hand gestures.

"It's strange how it's as if he is trying to communicate." Hanten thought out loud.

"He is." Symo stated before stepping forward and attempting to communicate herself. "Don't worry, honey. We won't hurt you." She spoke softly. "My name is Symo." Her hands motioning to her chest and her ears perked forward in a sign of friendliness.

'Sweetheart' seemed to be listening to her and even attempted to repeat her name though it sounded strange on his tongue.

Though mimicry is not unknown in the Animal Kingdom the next action of the creature was, leaving the group with their jaws hanging open in shock.

**A/N: There you go, sorry it took so long, I'm just a slow writer when I do have the time. Please review! The more review and the more I'll be encouraged to write. :)  
**


	13. Author's Note

Hey everyone:

First off I apologize for the long waits with this story. The real world just doesn't seem to want me to finish this. Life is throwing a lot of curve balls right now as it does to everyone. There was and still is too much going on for me to sit down and give this story the thought it needs. The need to study is finally over so I now have a bit more time to relax but I have lost the will to continue. I may get my muse back eventually but for now this story is on hold. If one of you would like to take up this story, please do. It would be wonderful for the story to continue.

I am hoping to get my muse back at some point and continue writing but nothing has sparked my interest right now, but I will continue writing at some point and will still read on fanfiction.

Thank you all for understanding and being so patient. You all are amazing and I'm grateful for all of the encouraging reviews I received.

flyboyfan


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